The John Steel Singers

The John Steel Singers, an indie pop outfit from Australia, came together in Brisbane during 2007. They took their name from a toy horse that belonged to guitarist Tim Morrissey in his youth, and the lineup also includes Scott Bromiley, Luke McDonald, Ross Chandler, and Pete Bernoth; the band put out a self-titled EP that same year and followed it in 2008 with the mini LP The Beagle and the Dove. Skilled multi-instrumentalists and vocalists all, they blend sharp indie pop with hints of understated psychedelia along with clear Krautrock leanings. Late in 2008 came the In Colour EP on Levity Records, the label run by Levi Jeans, before they inked a deal with Dew Process Records to release their first full-length, Tangalooma from 2010, helmed by Robert Forster of the Go-Betweens. Subsequent travels took them across the U.S. and Europe, while appearances at prominent home-country events such as Splendour in the Grass helped refine their approach. For the next record they eventually set up a temporary studio inside a Gold Coast residence belonging to Luke McDonald's father. Handling production and recording duties on their own, the Singers brought in Nicolas Vernhes from Brooklyn, known for work with Deerhunter and the Fiery Furnaces, to handle the mixing. The resulting album, Everything's a Thread, appeared in 2013 through the British independent label Full Time Hobby and pushed their Krautrock interests further while sharpening a concise, sunny pop aesthetic.